Montana Ave, North of Montana

Gorgeous neighborhoods and homes surround this upscale street in Santa Monica. Lots of trees, clean and safe, trendy shops and fine dining make this a wonderful location.

Montana is one of the best streets in the city for a Sunday afternoon. It has great shopping, art galleries, cute little cafes and restaurants and the street is in a great neighborhood.
Montana Avenue's demographic is a little vanilla and the commerce there reflects that -- but, this is the only thing wrong with the street. It doesn't quite have the edge that Main Street has but it definitely doesn't have any of the tourist trickle off from the Promenade that Main street has either. The neighborhood is very upper middle to upper class somewhat stuffier set for Santa Monica, so if you're planning on getting rowdy, this is not your spot. And, the shopping can be a little conservative and expensive. But, the street still has some great staple shops like Planet Blue and Only Hearts. And, there are some great (but overpriced) antique stores, beauty supply stores and even an herb store (the eastern kind, not the cooking kind). So, even though the price tag is a little garrish, there is still some connection to the beach vibe. There are also a few art galleries on the street. So, basically, this is a fantastic street for a lazy weekend day with girls. The restaurants are, in my opinion, mostly brunch places. I mean, you can go to Marmalade for dinner, but why would you? Babalu is great too, but again, for lunch. One of my favorite past times is to have a mimosa brunch at Marm, shop, people watch, and then go for beers at Father's Office in the late afternoon. Father's Office is a fantastic bar. It's tiny, always crowded and has a really cool vibe. It's hard to get a seat and you have to order from the bar but once you're in, you can stay for hours. The burger is often noted as one of the best in the city and it is really great if you like blue cheese.
This street has a lot to do but with a pretty lazy energy. On a warm, sunny day, it's pretty tops if maybe a little snotty. It's just too cute.